[Politics and mental disease. How great are the chances of success of candidates who had been treated for mental disease?].
"Would you vote for a politician who is said to have been mentally ill?" This question was asked of 554 psychiatric in-patients and an unselected collective of 1282 clinically healthy persons. About two thirds of the patients and about twice the number of the healthy persons interviewed do not see in a past psychiatric disorder a hindrance to a political career. But every fourth patient and more than half of the laity - a decisive criterion for successful election - rejected this proposal categorically. Such a candidate could expect the lowest number of votes from older persons, married or widowed, rural communities, and the majority of voters, i.e. of the middle and lower classes. It cannot be excluded that the recent case of Thomas Eagelton in the USA may find its counterpart in Germany.
D006801:Humans; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000628:therapy*; D008875:Middle Aged; D011057:Politics; D011287:Prejudice; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014481:United States
Politik und psychische Krankheit. Wie hoch sind die Erfolgschancen psychiatrisch vorbehandelter Kandidaten?